


Wake Up Call

by Picpicpic



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Comfort, Friends to Lovers (to Parents), M/M, Parent Matt, Supportive Kelly Severide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 09:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20207299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Picpicpic/pseuds/Picpicpic
Summary: Between the plans, Matt finds himself taking care of children.





	1. 1.

**Author's Note:**

> This requires some leniency with the timeline and the specificities of child services. Let's say this is S7 Matt, living in his S1 townhouse in an imagined location. Let's also imagine the conversation with the Social worker makes logical sense...
> 
> Trigger Warnings - depiction of a car accident, involving injuries.  
Injuries are not specified. No gruesome descriptions.
> 
> This is not (yet) betaed... all mistakes and typos are mine. sorry.

**1.**

“Hello?”

“Severide,”

“Casey?”

“Yeah, sorry, did I wake you?”

“Mm, it’s fine, what’s time is it?”

“2:15”

Matt can hear the quietly muttered ‘fuck’ as Kelly pulls himself up in bed, “What’s up?”

“I’m sorry. I’m driving home, and I feel like I’m dozing off… could you stay with me on the line for a bit?”

“Sure. Where are you?”

“On my way back to Chicago, I have like another half-an-hour on the highway,”

“Back from where?” Kelly’s voice is still gruff, but Matt can hear him inject interest into his question.

“My mom’s…”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, eh, yeah…”

“You can tell me, Matt,”

“It’s really not impor… she got into a bit of trouble with her parole officer. I had to go bail her out, make promises, smoothen feathers...”

“Shit, you still held accountable for her?”

“Basically, yeah,”

“Where is she living now?”

“Kansas City, she met this guy, a jazz musician or something, moved there with him…”

“is that allowed? On her parole?”

“Not really, no. that was the problem… she’d thought it’d go under the radar, typical my mother. But obviously, they keep tabs on her, and you have to do these things the proper way…. whatever.”

“I’m sorry you’re stuck in the middle of all this, Matt.”

“She’s my mother…”

“Yeah, she is. It’s still shit. What does Christy say about all this?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t talked to her. I don’t think she’s in touch with my mom really.”

“When did you go, anyway?”

“Right after shift this morning. She called when I was leaving 51. I had to cancel work, which is really not good because I’m on a deadline I might not meet now.”

“You’re too kind, Matt.”

“She’s my mom. What was I supposed to do, let her sit the night in jail?”

“Yeah?”

“Kel,”

“Sorry. You just… I just wish you’d put yourself first sometimes. Care a bit less about everybody and anybody else, you know?”

A silence falls between them leaving Kelly unsure if he’s gone too far, said the wrong thing. He knows better than to lecture Matt, but maybe he’s just surprised him into silence.

“Matt, you there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Sorry. You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired. Wanna get home already. I think we can hang up now, I’m almost in the city.”

“No, I’ll stay with you on the line.” He pauses shortly to hear if Matt will fight him on this. Then dives into the next thing to keep the conversation going. “I can give you a hand tomorrow if it’d help with your deadline,”

“No, it’s fine, thanks though. I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

Kelly, ready for this gut-reaction, knowing Matt would avoid being an inconvenience in any way, already has an answer prepared. “You’re not. I’m waiting on parts to be delivered for the boat I’m working on, nothing to do until they arrive. You’ll be doing me a favour, keeping me busy.”

“You sure?” he can hear the hope and gratitude in Matt’s voice.

“Yes. Absolutely. Pick me up with coffee and I’m yours. For the day.” He adds awkwardly after a beat.

“Deal. Thanks, Kelly.”

“Sure,”

“No, I mean it. Also for tonight, I don’t take it for granted, that I can call you like this…”

“Of course, Matt.” then he teases, to lighten the mood. “Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, now would we? Chicago’s most beloved captain, after all.”

“Shut up,” Matt chuckles.

“It was in the papers and everything,” Kelly continues.

“I wouldn’t call the CFD Monthly a newspaper, you idiot,” Matt laughs lightheartedly. “Anyway, I’m in the city already, three more stoplights and I’m home.”

“If you’d take a left and a right, you’d be here…” Kelly offers without thinking, holding his breath for Matt’s reaction.

“Um,”

“Sofa's ready and everything” Kelly tries, without really knowing why. “Would make it easier for tomorrow…”

“Thanks, Sev, but I’m already in my street. Need to shower and change, get things from my garage for work tomorrow… anyway, thank you,”

“Sure thing, Matt. I’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Yeah,”

“Goodnight,”

“Goodnight,”

…

‘Squad Three, Engine 81, Car accident, W Arthington Street,’

It’s not uncommon for calls to come in this late at night, reporting a car accident. People lose focus, get cocky or drunk, or fall asleep as the night drags on. Matt shudders inwardly at the fact that the call sends them to his own neighbourhood. _70% of car accidents happen close to home_, the fact resurfaces in his mind. On the outside he’s calm and ready, leading his team onto the truck.

That Squad had been called to the scene as well, did not bode well for those involved in the accident. But Matt was not prepared for the scene in front of him. The pick-up truck that had crossed over the centre line, had ploughed into the car driving down the opposite lane, basically cutting it in half. The woman driving it, crammed between the seat and the steering wheel with the force of the impact, is severely injured and unconscious. Squad take over immediately to get her out. While Truck 81, to Matt’s horror, set out to rescue a little girl sitting at the other end of the backseat. She’s terrified but, miraculously, mostly unharmed. It’s only when they’ve cut through the door, and he’d reached the car seat to slip a c-collar on her and release her, that Matt recognizes her.

“Kelsey,” he tries to calm the crying 4-year-old in his arms, “Kelsey, I’m Matt, okay, you’re okay.” He speaks over her terrified sobs as he carries her into an ambo. He tries to keep his voice calm, but he can’t ignore the rising terror inside him at the girl’s petrified howling. “These nice ladies will check if you’re hurt, and we’ll take you to the hospital, ok? Kelsey, I’m right here, okay? Look at me, you know me, right? You know me, Matt, remember?”

“You know her?” Brett asks curiously as she works around him.

“They’re my neighbours. Her mom, and her and, oh god, there’s a baby too.” His hand flies to his radio before he finishes the sentence. “Truck 81, there might be a baby in the car as well. 8 months or so. I repeat, check for a baby in the car and around.”

“Copy, Captain.” Comes Kidd’s voice over the radio. And a few minutes later: “There’s no sign of a baby or a chair, Captain. Seatbelts seem to be unbuckled, to begin with,”

“You riding with us, Captain? we have to move,” Brett’s voice breaks him from his worry over the baby.

“No, I’ll go help look for the baby. I’ll join you at the hospital later.” But when he tries to step back, the child, who had calmed down some in the meanwhile, clings to him , her sobbing growing hysterical again. “Chief,” he calls into his radio, only for Boden to appear at the door.

“I’ve got you covered, Casey, go.”

“There should be a baby, Chief. If he wasn’t in the car, he’s with someone that needs to be notified.”

“The father?”

“No, he’s in jail. But I don’t know about anyone else. or a baby-sitter.”

“I’ll handle it. Go.” the last word is directed to Brett, more than to Casey, Boden already closing the ambo door. Brett knocks twice on the dividing glass and the ambo begins to move, red lights flickering and the siren blaring.

“Can you cut the sirens?” Casey asks as he sees the girl’s distress at the loud noise, and Brett knocks again passing the request to her partner at the wheel.

…

“Casey?” Kelly suddenly materializes at his side, holding out a cup of coffee.

“Severide, what are you doing here?” A quick look at his watch tells him it’s been hours since he’s arrived at the hospital.

“You hadn’t come back,” Kelly answers simply, but Matt can read the lingering worry and relief in his eyes. “I came to check. How is she doing?” he nods toward the sleeping child in the bed, her hand still clinging to Matt’s.

“She’s fine. A couple of bruises, but other than that she’s unharmed.”

“And the mother?”

“Critical, still in surgery. Don’t know.”

“Brett says you know them?”

“They’re my neighbours. They live in the house next to mine. You hear anything about the baby?”

“He's with a babysitter at home.”

“And the other driver?”

“It was a recovery, not a rescue. Seems like he fell asleep on the wheel.”

A heavy silence falls between them, Matt’s eyes glued to the sleeping child in front of him.

“Matt?”

“That could have been me.” Matt whispers, “The other night. It could have been me, falling asleep, causing so much damage.”

“But it wasn’t,” Kelly tries to comfort him, to assure him, knowing this could send Matt spiralling. “You did the right thing and called me. You made sure to stay awake. If I hadn’t answered you would have stopped to rest.” His fingers slowly find their way to Matt's shoulder, feeling the muscles tense under his touch. “It wasn’t you, and you’re doing everything you can. Don’t go down the ‘what if’ trail.”

They stay like that, in silence, for a moment, they’re eyes on the sleeping girl. Until Matt sighs, and gently shakes Kelly’s hand from his shoulder.

“You waiting for a family member to arrive?” Kelly tries not to let his voice portray his disappointment.

“Social services, yeah. Not sure what family she has…”

“Did you update Boden?”

“Yeah, he said I can stay, he’ll pick me up if it’s something critical, otherwise he’ll cover for me.”

“You want me to stay?” Kelly asks carefully.

“No, it’s fine. Thanks though.”

“Ok,” Severide relents, “I’ll come back in the morning, after shift, if you’re not back by then, okay? Keep me posted.”

“Yeah, okay,” Matt mumbles his assent, too tired and preoccupied to really think about it. Kelly’s hand hovers again over Matt’s shoulder, wanting to give strength and comfort and contact. Then he thinks of Matt’s reaction, and decides against it, lowering his arm down again. Matt remains oblivious to the whole indecisive moment.

…

At 5:30 a woman comes into the room, signalling for Matt to come out to the hall with her.

“Matt, I’m Tina Cantrell, DCFS, I was the social worker on Louie’s case,”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Matt shakes the web of exhaustion from his brain, to focus on the current conversation. He recognizes the social worker in front of him, curious as to why she’d want to speak with him.

“I understand you know the child,” she takes a moment to look at the clipboard in her hand, “Kelsey Waters?”

“Yes, I mean, not very close, but some… the family are my neighbours. A mother with two children.”

“Right. We’ve notified the babysitter, and she’ll stay with the baby at home this morning till we find someone to relieve her. It’s why I came to see you. When your name came up as the firefighter on the scene, I took the liberty to look at your file again.” Matt can see her hesitating, as if unsure of his reaction to her next words. “Your status as a foster parent still stands,”

“How is that possible? Gabby and I are no longer together, I don’t even live in the same apartment.”

“Right, right. But when you two were screened for foster care, you were first screened separately, - examining your assets individually to decide whether each of you was fitting to be a foster caretaker, - and then as a couple as well. Technically, your individual status as a foster caretaker has not been revoked after Louie was re-placed with his family, nor since..” She can see Matt taking all this in. And Matt thinks over everything he’d gone through with the DCFS, all the trouble and the pain and the hardships. Their fight to get Louie and their failure to keep Louie. He knows it took a huge toll on their relationship, but if he's honest, it had only brought forth what was always slowly fraying at the seams. He fights to pulls himself together and refocus on the current situation.

“Okay…?”

“Since you know the family and live in proximity, and already hold a foster care-taker status, we were hoping you’d agree to take care of the children until a more permanent solution is found.” She can see Matt is stunned into silence. “As you know, the father is in jail and has very few visiting rights and parenting rights. The mother,” again she looks at her notes, “Stephanie, was quite adamant during their divorce to keep the children from him. The girl - Kelsey - has minimal visits with him, but he doesn’t have custody. So, until we know more about the mother’s situation and find if there are any other relatives, or a living-will stating her instructions, the children go into the system. But if you’d be willing to take of them, or rather, to stay with them, it could help keep them in a more stable environment for the time being. Let them stay at home, in their day-care routines and so on.”

“There’s an 8 months old baby,” Matt voices the first worry that comes to mind. He’s so dumbfounded in face of this development, he can’t even formulate it into a question.

"Yes, David. We’ll provide as much help and support as we can.”

“They don’t really know me. I mean, they’ve seen me in the street, I helped Stephanie put up shelves once, that’s about it.”

“I know this is an overwhelming situation, but it is an emergency requiring a solution. We hope this is a temporary situation, and that the mother will recover, but the children need a solution until then, and you and I both know that their best interest is to stay as much out of the system as possible.”

“How is the mother?”

“Out of surgery for now, but still critical. To my knowledge, she’s scheduled to go back into surgery soon.”

“I can’t give these kids what I gave Louie. I just…” his eyes drift through the glass window to the child sleeping in the bed, guilt and shame and heartbreak already taking root inside him.

“I’m not expecting you to. But you might be their best possible chance for a stable transition. However much time you can give us, will help us and those children.”

He feels like he has to protect himself from what might end as painful as the Louie situation had ended, leaving him even more empty and lonely and broken. And yet, how could he say no to children in need, when he is clearly able to help? He wouldn’t have traded a single moment with Louie, even if it had saved him from the pain. “Can I think about it?” he asks, though deep inside he has the feeling he’s already arrived at a decision.

“Yes, of course. The doctor says Kelsey should be discharged today, and the babysitter is there for the day. Take your time and let me know. Here’s my card, for any questions.” With that, she sends him one last hopeful and sympathetic smile and turns to leave. Matt stays there looking at her walking away, and then resumes his place at Kelsey’s side, his mind filled with worry and questions and possibilities.


	2. 2

“You looking for Matt Casey?” a young female voice asks him as he stands in front of Matt’s town-house door, waiting for his knock and ring to be answered. Kelly turns his head to find a young woman smoking on the front steps of the adjacent house.

“Yes,” he says, taking a step towards her. “You know where I can find him?”

“And you are?”

“His best friend.” It slips out without thought. “He’s not answering his phone. I’d thought he’d be here by now.”

“He’s asleep.” The woman says, almost casually, and something about it rubs Kelly the wrong way. How would she know that? It seems so intimate an information.

“Are you the babysitter?” Kelly puts two and two together and receives a nod of conformation. “I’m Kelly Severide. I work with Matt at the firehouse.”

“Megan,” her eyes scan over Kelly, assessing. “He’s not there,” she adds, as if doing him a favour, “He’s in here,” her hand rises to point to the door behind her. “The kids…”

“Right, of course,” Kelly says, slowly making his way down Matt’s steps toward the neighbouring house. “May I?” he asks, hesitantly, pointing at the door.

“I, … can I see some identification? To see you’re really who you say you are? It’s just… it’s not my house, but the kids and…”

“I get it,” Kelly reassures her, seeing now how young she is, lost and tired, and herself overwhelmed by the situation. “You’re doing the right thing, asking for identification.” He says as he pulls his wallet out, showing her his CFD card, as well as a wallet size photo of him and Matt and Andy. “I am who I say I am.” He teases, smiling.

“I guess so, yeah,”

“When did he get back?”

“Two hours ago? Around 8:30. Said the hospital released Kelsey first thing, and she was anxious to see her brother.”

“Any word about the mother?”

“Out of surgery. But still critical. Don’t know much more.”

“Okay, thanks. Can I go in, see Matt?”

“Sure. Up the stairs, second door on the left.”

“Thanks. You… staying?”

“For now, yeah. Waiting for social services to let me know I can go. Thought I’d see if Matt needs help, know where everything is…”

“Right, okay.” Kelly nods as he makes his way up the three steps and past her.

He opens the door to a small living room. The layout is not un-similar to Matt’s house, but this space feels much more lived-in, much more homely. A warm blanket lies in disarray on the couch, indicating someone has spent the night on it. A baby’s mattress sprawled on the floor in front of it, colourful toys hang above it from a small clothed arch. Other toys, as well as books for a slightly older child, are spread between the couch and the television. A stack of books and papers cover one corner of the large dining table behind the couch, and an unfinished puzzle waits gapingly on its other corner. In the clear space between the two, two placemats indicate where mother and daughter, sitting across from each other, usually share their dinners. A white high-chair stands next to the table. The kitchen behind the dining area carries evidence of an eventful night and a tired morning; Used baby bottles stand clustered near the sink. A couple of clean bottles still stacked on the drying rack. Half drunk and empty coffee mugs line the counter, telling the time and stress that have marked the night. Three bowls and spoons in the sink hint to a hurried breakfast, probably shared as Matt and Kelsey finally arrived home, two cereal boxes stand open in a short row next to the microwave.

Kelly takes it all in, his mind filling the gaps to Matt’s neat and bare house. Matt being quite minimal in his taste, and lacking the time to really tend and invest in his own home-environment, the place still lacks a more personal touch of design. It remains immaculate and practical, if somewhat sterile and uninviting. Yet somehow, Kelly can easily imagine Matt here, between the demanding vitality of this household, bursting with the messy details of growing children. It’s everything Matt has always wanted, Kelly knows; a place to call his, a place to belong, to be accepted and embraced and cherished. A place where Matt can cherish openly; can give openly, as his nature - without guilt or fault or shame. Life has the oddest way, Kelly thinks as he climbs the steps, to give Matt an evasive, almost cruel glimpse into everything he wants and does not have.

It’s with a heavy, worried heart, the Kelly finally opens the door, finding Matt stirring from light sleep, lying carefully at the edge of the bed, atop the covers. Kelly’s eyes linger on Matt’s body, curved protectively towards the two small children tucked beside him under the blanket. Matt’s hand rests carefully on the baby’s stomach, while the girl – Kelsey - sleeps somewhat akimbo on the baby’s other side.

“Kelly?” Matt blinks awake when he realizes what disturbed his sleep. Kelly can see the bags forming under Matt’s eyes, indicating how little rest he’s gotten since the call and the rescue.

“Hey,” Kelly answers Matt question, his voice low and careful, his eyes flickering over the sleeping children to see they’re not disturbed.

“Hey, what’s up? What are you doing here?” In his confused state, Matt tries to make sense of Kelly’s surprising presence.

“You never updated, I came looking for you at your house,”

“Oh, sorry. Got swept up in bureaucracy. And then Kelsey…”

“I know, it’s fine,”

“What time is it?”

“10:40”

“Mmh, you just come back from shift?”

“Yeah, call ran over on the other side of town. Took time for replacement to arrive and for us to finish up.”

“You should go home, rest,”

“Matt, what are you -” Kelly’s hand rises to indicate the sleeping children.

“Fuck,” Matt sighs suddenly, his head falling against the pillows. He winces as he remembers his language around the children, making Kelly chuckle. “I need to pee. So bad,”

“So go,” Kelly frowns, indicate the door the en-suite.

“Come here,”

“What?”

“Come here a moment,”

Kelly’s legs move before he understands why - why Matt needs him to come closer and why his complying.

“Put your hand on top of mine,” he says, indicating the hand on the baby’s stomach.

“Matt?”

“Come on, he’ll wake otherwise, and I really need to relieve myself. Two minutes, Kelly, please.”

There is very little in this world, Kelly wouldn’t do with Matt looking at him like that. There is probably nothing he wouldn’t do. So, he finds himself crouching over the bed, carefully reaching out, placing his hand on top of Matt’s on top of the baby’s stomach. Matt’s hand is warm to touch when it carefully slides from under Kelly’s. He quickly flexes and un-flexes the muscles of his hand, relieving it after hours of remaining in the same position.

As Matt gets up from his place on the bed, the baby starts stirring, a small grunting sound leaving his lips.

“Let him feel the weight of your hand,” Matt instructs. “You can sit next to him,” he indicates the spot he’d just vacated, and Kelly sits down to ease the odd angle on his back. “Don’t press but let him know you’re there. Keep him in place.” He hears Matt say as he quickly disappears into the toilet, while Kelly adjusts his grip on the baby, watching as it settles down.

In the silence that ensues, Kelly takes the opportunity to look at the sleeping children. The baby can’t be more than a year, he thinks. His thin, straight hair is strawberry-blonde. It’s still his baby hair, not yet trimmed, its final shade not yet entirely decided. His sister’s hair, on the other hand, is darker, richer and much (much) curlier. It wildly covers almost the entirety of her face as she sleeps, sprawled beside her brother. _That hair is going to be a challenge of its own._ There is something similar in the children noses and the shape of the bones around their eyes but Kelly can’t tell their eye colours. The rest of their facial structure is yet undefined or too soft with sleep to be noticeable. Their small mouths open, and their chests rising and falling with the breaths. Oddly, they both tilt their head in the same direction as they sleep - a bit upward and to the left. There is something endearing to see and realize their unconscious relation to one another. They’re similar enough to have the same biological parents, Kelly ponders, wondering how that came to be since he knows the father has been incarcerated or a while. It’s another challenge Matt is going to deal with if he takes this on.

Just as the question arrives, Matt comes through the door, stretching his limbs.

“God, I needed that. Been waiting for a while, but every time I tried to get up, David woke up.” He comes to stand at the edge of the bed, next to Kelly. “Thanks,” he indicates to Kelly’s hand on David. “How do mothers ever pee?” he chuckles lightly.

“How does she sleep if he needs a hand on him all night?”

“I don’t think it’s a usual thing. Megan – the babysitter - says he slept through most of the night. But he’s been restless this morning because his mom hasn’t come back… Kelsey wanted to sleep next to him, so we let him take his morning nap here… I was just too tired to argue about it. Couldn’t see the harm in it anyway.”

Kelly can hear the insecurity in Matt’s voice, the justification in his words. His compensation with over-explanations. It’s quite obvious if you know Matt well, know how economical he can be with words.

“Matt,”

“Kelly, don’t,” he can hear Kelly’s question in his tone.

“What are you doing?”

„I‘m helping. I’m helping where I can.”

“Why you, Matt? It’s not your responsibility. Let DCFS find someone to take care of them.”

“I am, and they did. They found me. I still have my foster parent status,”

“Matt,”

“DCFS put their lives in my hands. Literally – you can feel his heartbeat under your fingers. I am their best chance to stay out of the system for now. I know that system from inside, you know how many kids fall between the cracks, so, if I can help keep them out of it, keep them safe and seen and cared for, I’m going to do it.

“What does that mean? You going to be a full-time dad now? What about your work? 51?”

“I took two weeks of furlough. Once we get the kids back into some sort of routine, I can go back to work. I don’t know more than that right now.”

“Matt,”

“Look, Kelly, you’re my closest friend, and I know you’re worried, but this is not up for discussion. You have two choices here; you can stay and help, or you can leave. I won’t be offended if you do, but I can’t have you stay and make things more difficult than they are. I’m sorry.” Somewhat unconsciously, Matt comes to sit at the edge of the bed, reaching his hand to replace Kelly’s when he decides to leave. They look at each other for a long moment, the thought running in Kelly’s head. Eventually, he sighs and slowly stands up, letting Matt place his hand over the baby.

“There is something you’ve never been able to fully accept, Matt,” Kelly says as he turns to stand in front of Matt, catching his eye, seeing the amassing tiredness from the night and the lingering weariness from Kelly’s critique. “I’m not leaving. I will never leave. Doesn’t matter what you do, or how much we disagree, I will always have your back, always be here at your side.

“And I’m not in disagreement with you now, about this. I know you can help these kids. I have no doubt you’re going to give them everything you can and care for them.” he takes a moment to assess Matt’s reaction, and to gather his courage to say what he really means. “I just wonder, Matt, who puts their hand over your heart and takes care of you, sees you, keeps you safe? Because you always put that last.”

“I take care of me,” Matt answers, stubbornly, unyielding. Even though he’s overwhelmed by Kelly’s honest and intimate words. “Always have. Since I was seven.”

Kelly can’t help but smile a sad-shy-fond smile. He knew that would be Matt’s answer. Independent un-dependent Matt, adamant to hold-face and fight for survival. Matt, who can’t seem to trust anyone would be interested in caring enough. Who can’t seem to see, or accept, how much Kelly cares.

“Well, I’m here for that too,” he says softly, shrugging. He tries to read Matt’s eyes and expression, watching the words sink in and the confusion rise. “I’ll let you rest,” he says, already retreating towards the door. “Check with Megan if she’s heard something... get something arranged for lunch…”

“You don’t have to,” Matt finally finds his voice, characteristically trying to forgo help.

“Yes, Matt, I do,” Kelly answers, passing through the door, carefully pulling the door closed behind him.

“Thank you,” Matt’s voice reaches him through the closing door. 


End file.
